Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-04-21

Text of the Lesson, Genesis Xvii, 1-I2.
Golden Text, Ephesfans vi, 9.
The king of Egypt, whose official title was
Pharaoh great house,, who is believed by
eminent Egyptian scholars, as we have seen,
to have been Apepi, the last of the Hyksos or
shepherd kings, himself Semitic like Joseph,
took a lively interest in the coming of Jacob
and his sons to Egypt Gen. xiv, 16). To this
end he furnished wagons to convey the old
patriarch, the women and the children. At
first Jacob could not believe the news that his
son was alive and ruler of the land of the
Pharaohs ". 90. 1t doubtless seemed to him
like fairy tale. But when he saw the wagons
he could doubt no longer, and took his jour-
ney to Egypt Gen XIV, "a; Xvi, g..
He probably took the usual road, along the
shore of the Mediterranean Joseph went to
Goshen that he might welcome his father
almost at the boundary of the country, and
that he might prepare him for his interview
with the king Tvs 1884. This was necessary
because Joseph's father and brethren be-
longed to the despised class of shepherds, who
were regarded as following a disgraceful
employment. Although the Pharaoh to
whom they were to be introduced belonged
to dynasty which had sprung from shep-
herds, and therefore would naturally receive
Jacob with more favor than one of the native
Egyptian kings, yet even this shepherd
dynasty during the 400 or 500 years of their
power must have become pretty well Egypt
ianized.
THE LESSON.
Joseph's Nobility Tvs. 1-S).-It was, then,
mark Of a noble spirit not only that Joseph
should be ready to have these brethren come
to Egypt, but that he should inform Pharaoh
of their coming and should present them in
person, especially as we see from the monu-
ments that the shepherds were the objects of
ridicule and caricature He did not attempt
to conceal from the king what their occupa-
ton was, but tells him plainly that their
hocks and their herds have come with them
He takes five Of them and presents them to
the king When the king asks them what
their occupation is they answer. as Joseph
had instructed them, "Thy servants are
shepherds, both we and our fathers" This
frank confession is in striking contrast with
the deception which in earlier years was prac-
ticed by his father, his uncle and his brethren.
We may, therefore, praise Joseph not only
for his chastity under temptation, but also
for exact truthfulness when he would surely
be compromised by the clear evidence Of his
ignoble origin, as seen in the occupation of
his brethren.
Goshen w. 4.-Their request that they
might dwell in the land of Goshen, which
was situated in the Tanitic nome Of the
delta, between the Sebennytic and Pelusiac
branches Of the Nile, was a very suitable one,
for this country was especially adapted for
grazing. Here the cattle of Pharaoh were
doubtless pastured. They would thus be
among shepherds and kindred Semites, far
away from the Egyptian population, who
would be offended by their presence, and con-
veniently near the Egyptian boundary and
the high road to the land which had been
promised their fathers.
VS. S, d With Oriental hospitality Pha-
raoh offers Joseph the best Of the land as
their dwelling place. but specifies Goshen in
accordance with their request; and since
they must be shepherds he raises among them
such as may be competent to the rank of
royal shepherds, by directing Joseph to
choose men from his brethren to superintend
the care of his cattle
Joseph and Pharaoh Tvs T-10.-Joseph
reserves the interview Of his father with Pha-
roah until after his brethren have left.
Jacobs bearing in the presence of the Egyp-
tian monarch Is worthy of the heir of the
great promises made to Abraham and Of the
progenitor of the people of redemp' on and
of the Messiah. He seeks no favors, but con-
fers favor in the blessing which he pro-
nounces on Pharaoh.
The king asks him how old he Is The vener-
able man replies that the days Of his pilgrim
age sojournings, Revised Version, margin)
have been 130 years. His answer indicates
three things: o. That he has been wanderer
He has not had any settled home His father
and grandfather dwelt in tents in q land
where they owned no property except grave
(Acts vii, B.; compare Gen. xiii, 17-20.
Twenty years he had spent with Laban in
Haran Gen xxi, SS, and now be had come
to spend his declining years in Egypt He
could not call any country his own. q
His days in retrospect seemed few when COM
pared with those of Terah and Abraham
(Gen. ii, 81; XIV, s.. 81 The days had
been evil. Through his own fault he had led
troubled life when he might have had
happy one Ever since the hour when he de-
ceived his father (Gen. xxi, 1929, one bitter
experience after another had befallen him
Hard work and exposure when in the service
Of his Uncle Laban; disappointment regard
ing the choice Of his heart; pickering arising
from Q polygamous relation not contracted
through his own fault; the disgraceful con-
duct Of his children; the death of Rachel; the
fences during the years of famine had been
his lot. Jacob had enjoyed but little, owing
to the bad start which he made at the begin
ming.
VS. 10-12 But Jacob had a spiritual ex-
perience. He had known the power of prayer
in the time of trouble Gen. xxxii, 22-30; Hos
xii, A.. Thus the blessing which he could
speak when he first saw Pharaoh and when
he parted with him was of value
Joseph's Kindness.-Joseph's subsequent
conduct in relation to his father and brethren
is worthy of all praise. He did all in his
power to make them happy. There was evil
IDENTIFY no effort on his part to cause his
brethren pain because of their cruel treatment
of him years before. But they must have de-
spised themselves when they thought Of the
past and of his present kindness to them,
which was like Goals Of fire on their heads
Rom. xii, 20. He placed them In the best Of
the land, the land Of Rameses, and nourished
them according to the number Of their little
ones Revised Version; or, Hebrew, according
to the mouth Of the little ones). While the
little children of the Egyptians might have
an insufficient supply, the children of Joseph's
brethren had an abundance.
POINTS TO BE REMEMBERED.
1. As Joseph was not ashamed to acknowl-
edge his brethren, although they followed an
occupation which was the butt of ridicule
among the Egyptians, 50 we should never be
ashamed to do right.
q We should never utter an untruth for
fear Of being disgraced.
8. We should not be ashamed Of a useful
calling. II is better to lie a faithful enploye
than an unsuccessful employer.
l. "Heirs Of God and joint heirs with Jesus
s,.l..
earthly monarch. 1t is better to be Jacob
than Pharaoh.
g. New creatures in Christ must suffer for
their errors like those - 70 are not Christians.
A mistake made in youth often casts dark
shadow over the entire life Of him who has
repented and been forgiven.-Sunday School
World.
Mutilation Of Trade Dollars.